Baby Priya Bill Press Conference

AMANDA RISHWORTH, MINISTER FOR EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS:    I'm so pleased that Baby Priya's Bill has just passed the Senate. This is an incredibly important piece of legislation that protects the rights of parents that experience a stillbirth or early death of a child. It is unfathomable that you would lose a baby so young, but unfortunately this does happen in Australia. The last thing parents want to be doing is trying to negotiate about whether or not they can take their employer funded paid parental leave. Well, that was the experience of Priya's parents, particularly Priya's mum. Priya was a beautiful, brave little baby. Unfortunately, she passed away. And Priya's mum had the experience of trying to negotiate how she would return to work. It is a tragedy that her paid parental leave was cancelled. This was not the case for Priya's dad, which shows the inconsistency in the law. Well, Priya's parents took up the fight. They took up the fight to make other people aware of the inconsistencies in the law, and the legislation we have passed today has fixed this inconsistency. I really wanted to pay tribute, first to baby Priya, whose name is in this bill. She has been a beacon for change, but of course, to Priya's parents as well. They saw this in the midst of their grief, they saw the need for change, and they have taken up this fight so that other parents do not have to endure a similar circumstance.

I have to say, since we have introduced this law to the parliament there has been an outpouring of sentiment from people who didn't want this to happen to others. Parents have been in this circumstance and have said, I can't believe this happened to me, or I can't believe this happened to others. Today is a really important day to make sure that if, in your workplace, it is not explicitly stated what would happen in the event of a stillbirth or early death of a child, it is now clear, it's in law, that your paid parental leave cannot be cancelled. This is a good day for parents and I hope not only gives people rights in this circumstance but brings out of the shadows a conversation about stillbirth and early death, because we need to be talking about this more, and we need to have compassion in our community and in our society. I’ll now hand over to Priya’s parents who will say some things.

UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER, PRIYA’S MOTHER:    If I could have one wish, it would be to have my Priya back. But since that can never happen, this, today, is the next best thing, honouring her. From a little girl whose life wasn’t always validated, to now having her name written into law. Priya’s story has set precedent for how employers should treat parents who experience stillbirth or infant loss. The Baby Priya Bill is about love, compassion, dignity and respect. It is a symbol of my love for my daughter Priya. In moments when I was made to feel like my daughter's life didn't matter, my love and devotion to her and this bill acknowledges that her life does matter. It always has and it always will. Baby Priya's Bill honours my daughter and it also honours every baby who has passed, and sadly every baby who will pass in Australia. Every loss matters, whether it is a miscarriage, stillbirth, infant death, or the loss of any baby or child.

When I say that Baby Priya's Bill will give grieving parents the dignity they deserve, I want to remind everyone that these parents go home with empty arms. Often these pregnancies are high risk and or traumatic. In my case, I spent months confined to rest, and weeks in hospital under strict conditions, only to come home without my baby. Many mothers have told me their labour was painful and traumatic, ending in heartbreak instead of joy. Just because a mother doesn’t bring a baby home, doesn’t mean her body because of pregnancy or her mind has healed. The trauma of saying goodbye to your child, knowing you’ll never see them again, is unimaginable. And yet some parents are expected to return to work soon after to attend meetings and meet targets as though their world hasn't fallen apart. I was struggling to get out of bed or to even have a shower.

When a baby or child dies, it is a death of wrong order, as they say. Parents are not meant to bury their children. It defies the natural rhythm of life, and no mind or heart can truly comprehend it. Fathers, too, carry this grief deeply. It's a wound that never really heals. The purpose of Baby Priya's Bill is to give grieving parents the time, space and financial security to grieve and take care of themselves, without the fear of losing their jobs or their income. My hope is that in this time, parents can care for themselves and seek support when and if they need it. I want to thank my husband for standing by me and helping me honour our baby girl in the special way that she deserves. I want to thank my parents for their unwavering support for Priya and this bill. To my mother, thank you for loving Priya so deeply, for keeping her memory alive by speaking her name with such love. To our families near and far, thank you for your tears, your support, your care and for walking beside us in our grief. To our friends who have supported us and helped share baby Priya’s petition, and to the wonderful people I’ve met since my baby left this world, many of whom who started as strangers and now have become friends. I thank you. I’ve never had this much of love and support in all of my life, and this journey has opened my eyes to humanity and how wonderful people can be.

My heartfelt thanks to the Australian Services Union for standing by me and my sincere thanks and gratitude to Bears of Hope for their early and ongoing support. None of this would have been possible without Change.org and the amazing Paige. And to the nearly 33,000 supporters of baby Priya’s petition, thank you. This bill could not have existed without you. I am ever so grateful to you and you’re a part of Priya’s legacy. To the Labor Government, thank you for keeping your election promise. To Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, thank you for your time, your kindness, and your compassion when we met the other day.

I did vote for Labor and on election night, I hoped and prayed that whoever formed government would honour my daughter in the way she deserved and that prayer was answered through Minister Amanda Rishworth. From the moment I met Minister Rishworth, I knew she understood. Her first words to me were, what was Priya like? And in that moment she saw me not just as some women coming to meet her about a petition but as a mother. She felt my love for Priya and the pain of my loss and she helped me transform that into lasting change. I’m deeply indebted to Minister Rishworth for bringing Baby Priya’s Bill to life and for truly honouring what it represents. Love, legacy and decency for every bereaved parent. I am in awe of Minister Rishworth and I truly respect her for making Baby Priya’s Bill happen. Thank you also to Sophie and Gerda from Minister Rishworth’s team for your kindness, empathy and dedication. Working with you has been such a pleasure.

Over the past few days, I’ve watched the parliamentary speeches with tears, gratitude and love. To every speaker who supported this bill with such care and compassion and also for sharing yours or others stories, your words have moved me beyond measure. Baby Priya’s Bill is more than legislation, it’s my symbol of love for my daughter. It is strength and devotion turned into action. It is my daughter’s legacy.

To every grieving parent, I want to acknowledge you. Acknowledge you for the pain you carry, your strength, your stories, and your courage. Living life without your baby or child is the hardest thing imaginable, yet you continue to honour their memory every single day. I see you, I respect you, always.

I never got to see my daughter’s face without her medical mask. The first time I truly saw her face was at her funeral. She was oh so beautiful. I sat beside her tiny casket for hours at her funeral, crying, memorising her features, tucking her hair behind her ears, noticing a little mole near her eyebrow. She wore a pink headband my mum had brought her as a gift when she was born, but she wore that in her funeral instead. She looked like a doll, so peaceful, so perfect. I sometimes console myself that I was blessed to meet a real life angel for 42 precious days. It doesn’t console me much and it is hard, but I keep going. If my daughter’s watching from heaven now, I want to say I love you to the moon and back and back again, my darling Priya. Every day from now on, I will find some comfort in knowing that Priya effect has come to be and is helping some other parents, giving them the dignity, compassion and time they deserve. Priya’s like- Priya’s light will forever shine on through Baby Priya’s Bill. Thank you.

UNKNOWN SPEAKER 2:    We’ve got some questions for the Minister…

JOURNALIST:    In the Senate, Minister, a couple- crossbench were in a couple- crossbench and members of the Coalition tried to move amendments to the legislation in relation to late term abortion. What is your response to that?

AMANDA RISHWORTH:    well, look, what we’ve put forward is really a very clear bill. This bill is not about late term abortion, this bill is about giving parents the dignity in the event of a stillbirth or early death of a child and that’s what this bill is about. And I’m disappointed that some senators tried to make it something that this is not. But the bill is very clear. It brings in line the definition that’s in the government, paid parental leave, unpaid parental leave, and now it is making sure that paid parental leave provided by an employer, unless otherwise stipulated, cannot be cancelled. That’s what this bill is about and that’s what we have now put into legislation to protect those parents and give them some rights.

JOURNALIST:    Thank you.

AMANDA RISHWORTH:    Priya’s dad would just like to make a brief statement if that’s okay.

JOURNALIST:    Can we film him…?

CHRIS, PRIYA’S FATHER:    Yeah, you can film me, it’s fine. I am really pleased that Baby Priya’s Bill has passed in the Senate today, that Parliament has done the right thing in voting to make this legislation more. The legislation will make a difference to grieving parents. It reminds employers and society that workers are human beings. I'd like to thank everyone who supported the petition, the grieving parents who told their stories, the organisations like the Australian Services Union and Bears of Hope and Change.org who promoted the petition.

Above all, I would like to thank my wife, Priya's mum, for her tireless efforts to honour Priya and bring about change even though she's- even as she struggled with the difficulty of her own grief. She promoted the petition everywhere. She worked with many different people asking them to do the same. Her work was driven by love for Priya. I love her and Priya very, very much.

I'd like to encourage others who read our story and have their own issues from needing pre-term parental leave to getting employer paid parental leave in the first place that change is possible. I also hope that we have made conversations a little more open for those who experience miscarriage, stillbirth, infant or child loss. Priya never came home from the hospital, but she has come home today and touched the hearts of workers and families across Australia.

And just on the question before, I wasn't going to say anything about the right-wing, far-right sideshow in Parliament, but after watching the debates morning, the politics which comes from some of the Hansons and the Hasties and Carnivans, I think, is the politics of hate. It was hurtful to my wife. It's disrespectful to our daughter. It's not just irrelevant, it's hurtful. And on the other hand, I would like to thank Amanda Rishworth for bringing the bill to Parliament. Baby Priya's Bill, I think, is about the politics of hope and human decency, and I think we need more of that in the Australian Parliament. Thank you.